by Julian Mann, The Daily Sceptic
It is disturbingly clear that Avon and Somerset Police would love to prosecute Christian street preacher Pastor Dia Moodley for criticising Islam and transgender ideology.
The police decided in April to drop their five-month investigation into the 58 year-old evangelist. He was arrested last November for “inciting religious hatred” after giving a street sermon in Bristol criticising Islam and transgender ideology.
Footage of the sermon appeared to show a bystander reaching for the wire of Pastor Moodley’s speaker and him pushing her away. She then called the police.
He was then arrested by two officers under the Public Order Act 1986 and held at a police station for eight hours.
On May 16th, theTelegraph reported a spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police saying there was insufficient evidence to pursue a criminal investigation.
But in a comment dripping with sour grapes he added:
Should more information or footage be received, then we can review that material and consider whether any further inquiries are necessary.
Having caught the attention of the White House, Pastor Moodley was among the activists who met US State Department officials sent to the UK last March amid growing concern in Washington that free speech in Britain is under threat, the Telegraph reported.
He is a provocative preacher and arguably more verbally aggressive than it would be wise for Christian communicators to be.
But, while apparently lacking the necessary humorous touches, his street preaching is biblically orthodox and in line with the Church of England’s official teaching which, according to Article 18 of its 39 Articles of Religion, states that non-Christian religions do not bring eternal salvation.
In his sermons Pastor Moodley says Islam is “lies” and “darkness” while Christianity is “light”. He also says the Bible is “truth” while the Koran is “not true”.
In the months after his arrest, he refrained from preaching in Bristol until the day before Easter (April 4th). He reported that during his Easter sermon a Muslim bystander had threatened him after he compared Jesus to Mohammed, stating that only Jesus rose from the dead.
Footage of the incident appeared to show a man saying, “If you do that again, bro, we’ll have to send the boys round.”